Noir
by Little Mockingjay
Summary: A novleized version of Northwest Mansion Mystery, told from Pacifica's pov. A look into what was going through her mind in that episode, with snippets of happenings in-between scenes. Told in three parts, rated to be safe, three-shot, and obviously Dipifica.
1. The Haunting

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Gravity Falls.

 **Chapter One: The Haunting**

It was raining outside. The darkness of the outside world was in sharp contrast to the warm, dry and bright ambiance of the luxurious Northwest manor. The main room was headed with lights as well as a healthy fire. Some would likely call this excessive or superfluous, but the family that lorded the manor wouldn't hear of such things. Besides, light was a necessity tonight – her parents were getting everything ready for the annual party tomorrow night.

Pacifica walked silently and properly into the main room where her mother was looking over the guest list and her father was chiding the help. Even though she knew nothing was directed at her, there was a small hollowness in her stomach at her father's aggravation. Still, she stood straight and dignified in the room, waiting for her parents to acknowledge her. Surely her plan had to work!

"Now where the devil is –" her mother asked herself before looking up from the list and finally noticing her. "Pacifica!" Having missed the tone of her mother's voice, Pacifica smiled as she lifted the ends of her dress, pinkies up, and gave a small, lady-like bow. "What did I tell you about that dress? The theme is sea-foam green, not lake-foam green! Go change!"

Pacifica's smile fell and she took a moment to look down at her dress, wondering what was really wrong with it. It was very comfortable and in her own opinion, lake-foam looked better on her anyway. Her mother had already yelled at her over this dress, but for some reason she couldn't remember now, she had thought if she presented herself just right they might allow it this one time.

"But I – I kinda like it!" she tried to say before she completely lost her nerve. Again. As far as discipline went, she preferred her mother to her father; Mom was the easy one. Not that that really meant much, but still.

"Mind your mother, Pacifica." her father said, walking up to them, making her nervous already.

"Bu–" she started, but than her father pulled the bell out. That eerie, haunting ring flooded her ears, and she immediately closed her mouth in obedience. Honestly, she had forgotten years ago why she was meant to fear a silly little bell, and she knew it was ridiculous, but there was one way to make it stop: submission. She sighed in defeat, now wondering what in the world had made her think she could stand up to her parents. "Yes, father." Dejected, Pacifica turned around, meaning to go back to her room and change into that cold, pale dress.

She didn't take a step before she felt a trembling in the floor and peered back in confusion. Did this mean she didn't need to change her dress? The dinnerware on the table began to topple, and she gasped when they lifted themselves and began to flout. Plates seemed to pare off as they launched themselves at servants and she tried to shield herself when a couple flew to her and busted on the floor inches from her feet.

As she ducked under the table with her mother, Pacifica heard her father yell something about being his possessions and obeying him before he joined them under the table. In fact, she thought she heard something from him before about something happening before? Did he know what was going on? Pacifica found herself strangely fixated on this whole thing and vaguely registered her parents' words or the fact that a newspaper had landed right in front of her father.

Pacifica couldn't believe she was being made to do this; it was servants' work! After forcing herself through some unusually sticky mud, she tried to scrape it off on the old wood of the porch. She wasn't sure what that would really do, but it was better than nothing. That and this place smelled like animal droppings. The question on her mind was why her? She knew neither of her parents who set foot here, but why not get a servant to go or pay someone to send the message? Well, at least she was in disguise, so nobody would see her.

So she and Mabel had reached an agreement the last time they spoke – or they seemed to, if the other girls overly friendly behavior on the ride home had been any indication – that their rivalry was off. That didn't change the fact that Mabel Pines and her were not friends. Personally, Pacifica had hoped to avoid the Pines's entirely for the remainder of the summer, after which she heard they'd be going home back to wherever they were from. Mabel wasn't the one Pacifica was here for, though. It was her luck that her business was with the one person in the world she had even less to talk about with; her brother.

Dipper Pines seemed to be the quiet one, at least in comparison to that motormouth sister of his. She had heard that that's how it sometimes worked with twins; they would often be each others' opposites. But Dipper was also a nosy little creep. He had given her a document once; one claiming the Northwest legacy to be a shame, saying they never founded the town. This had upset her until her father assured her that the documents were fake; likely forged by those jealous little urchins, and he warned her to not humor their sick little games. From than on, Pacifica and Dipper's interactions had been limited to trading barbed, snarky comments, but little more. Still, apparently the boy now had a reputation as some kind of mystery solver, which is what her father had found in the paper last night.

She knocked on the door three times and was greeted by Dipper. Good, this would be over quickly. "I need your help." she said.

Dipper stared at her blankly for a couple of seconds before answering in a rather deadpan voice: "You're the worst." And with that, he slammed the door in her face. Jerk. She knocked again, and this time he gave her a bored look.

"Look, you think it's easy for me to come here?" Pacifica asked, shooing the mosquitoes away from her. "I don't wanna be seen in this hovel! But there's something haunting Northwest Manor. If you don't help me, the party could he ruined!" Pacifica was sure to give him an act of a scared little girl as she removed her sunglasses to increase the effect. From his unimpressed face, it seemed that either this act only worked on adults, or else she was getting too old for it. Perhaps both.

"And why should I trust you?" Dipper asked, looking unjustly smug. "All you've ever done is try to humiliate me and Mabel."

"Just name you're price, okay? I'll give you anything!" Pacifica said, knowing that she'd get the bell for that if her father were here. Not only had she resorted to begging, but it wasn't her call to offer up more money then they had allowed her. In her purse was five-hundred dollars and five invites to the party, both up for offer should it be asked.

"Hi Pacifica!" Mabel said, running to stand beside Dipper, as always in some odd little sweater and currently looking...rather devious. "Excuse us."

Dipper gave a yelp as she yanked in out of Pacifica's sight and she could hear a hushed argument between them. After only moments, Dipper returned with an exasperated look on his face and gave her an irritated groan. "Fine, all bust your ghost." he said, leaning on the door-frame and extending his hand for their deal. When she moved to take it, he yanked it away with a smirk that instantly made her want to smack him. "But in exchange, I'll need three tickets to the party."

Pacifica growled as she grabbed her purse and took out three golden envelopes with tickets in them. "You're lucky I'm desperate!"

"Woo-hoo!" She could hear Mabel and her friends cheering and chanting: "Desperate! Desperate! Desperate!" Oh, the humiliation. At least there was no one else around to see this. "Grenda, get the glue-gun. We're making dresses!" Pardon?

It looked like it would be another wet night that night. Pacifica couldn't believe this: inviting those creepy twins and their friends into her home. At least she'd managed to squeeze a personal victory out of this; her wardrobe. Far from the water-based green theme she'd been yelled at for last night, she was wearing a dark purple and black gown and dark red gloves. Perhaps all this commotion would distract her parents from it, or at least not see it as a big deal by comparison.

"Welcome to Northwest Manor, dorks." Pacifica said as she opened the door with a scowl on her face. "Try not to touch anything." Not two seconds after these words left her mouth did Mabel start gushing over everything – touching everything from the floor to the help in the process. Ordinarily, she would have upset Pacifica, but time was of the essence.

Pacifica's parents took a moment to send hostile glares to the tree girls who raced passed them, gleefully chasing the quails around and paying them no mind. This had Pacifica wondering, not for the first time, if Mabel ever had to answer to a bell when she was disobedient. Did Mabel's parents allow her to wear what she wanted to? Had Dipper been forbidden to play with other kids when he'd been small? Did they ever have to resort to spending their time at some smelly old shack just to get a few hours away from their parents?

Okay, okay, focus girl, she told herself. She tailed Dipper as he approached her parents, who in turn sent him clearly fake smiles. "Ah, if it isn't the man of the hour! Hopefully you can help us with our little...situation before the guests arrive in an hour?"

"I'll do my best!" Dipper declared, both looking and sounding quite bold. Pacifica was loathe to admit it, even if only to herself, but she supposed he deserved merit for his professionalism. That or surprisingly good acting. It was plain to see that he detested the Northwests, but he hid it well and it really seemed like he'd put his all into whatever he was planning.

"Splended." her father said. "Pacifica take our guest to the problem room and, eh...he's not wearing that is he?"

"I'm on it." Pacifica assured him.

Around five minutes later, Dipper emerged from the changing room looking quite unhappy. "Gah, it's like this collar is strangling me." he said as he pulled and fussed at his collar. His necktie was also undone. "Who do you guys think you're impressing with this stuff?"

"Um, everyone?" Pacifica said in an obvious tone as she made him a proper bow-tie. At the very least, the guy outta look presentable. "You wouldn't understand." She said and escorted him down the corridor. "High standards are what make the Northwest family great." To prove her point, she gestured to the pictures on the wall, each a noble ancestor of their family.

"Funny, I thought it was lying about founding the town." Dipper said She looked back at him when she didn't hear his footsteps following her, only to find him amusing himself with the tassels on the paintings. Perhaps that idiot was more like his sister than she'd originally thought.

"Don't touch that!" she yelled back at him. It didn't take long to arrive in the main room, which was only lite by a fire. "This is the main room, where it's been happening."

"Yep, this looks like the kind of room that would he haunted alright." Dipper said, and Pacifica got the strangest impression he was simply imitating something he'd heard from some old cheesy ghost movie. "I wouldn't be worried, though." he said, showing her some weird book he was carrying around, the pages with pictures of ghosts on them, notes scribbled here and there. "Ghosts fall on a ten category scale; flouting plates sound like a category one."

"So what?" Pacifica asked. "Are you gonna bore him back into the afterlife by reading from this book?" she joked, giving him a look at faded to disappointment when it didn't seem to phase him. Stupid boy!

Just gotta splash this sucker with some anointed water and he should be out of your...probably fake blond hair." Dipper said, sloshing around a jar of water and hurrying the last part of the sentence.

"What was that about my hair?" Pacifica demanded, no longer amused by their little back-and-forth. At the same moment, one of the contraptions in his backpack lite up and he took it out, hushing her.

"Shh! I'm picking something up!" he whispered, holding the thing that looked like a modified metal detector.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

What was that dripping sound? Was there a leak in here? Had the rain even started yet? As if on cue, Pacifica saw a drop of something fall in front of her, and she realized there was a puddle of it inches from her feet. Too thick-looking and red to be water.

"Ah!" she yelped, looking up at the dozens of hunting trophies. The bear just above of her was...bleeding from the mouth. Pacifica's heartbeat picked up as she backed up closer to Dipper in front of the fireplace. This wasn't the best of moves, though, considering that flames flared out of the fireplace. Pacifica just barely noticed that the animals, now all bleeding from the eyes and mouths, were now speaking in a single, ominous chant: "Ancient sins. Ancient sins. Ancient sins. Ancient sins."

There was an odd, chilly wind in the room as objects flew around again and circled them. She was only vaguely aware of the storm clouds swirling around the ceiling decoration. "Dipper, what is this?" she asked.

"It's a category ten." he sounded small and as scared as she was, and she knew at once that he was no longer quoting movies. She flinched when the jar of special water burst in his hand. With their only line of defense gone, the two did the only thing they could. They screamed.

* * *

Yes, Northwest Mansion Mystery is my favorite episode. Why else would I have more than three separate fics centering around the thing? It's a pretty great episode. Review.


	2. The Ghost

**Chapter Two: The Ghost**

"Ancient blood and blackened sky. The forests dark shall once more rise."

Losing her mind to panic, Pacifica grabbed Dippers shirt and shook him desperately. "What do we do? What do you _do_?"

"Don't worry." Dipper said, his own voice laced with panic as well. "It can't get worse than this!"

As if on cue, something reached from the blazing fire, slamming on the floor with a loud thud. It looked like a huge, black skeleton hand. It was soon joined by another, which then pulled out the rest of the being. It was a giant coal-black skeleton with, strangely, what looked like an ax embedded in its head. The thing let out a creep howl as it grew flesh. The kids, thinking maybe the thing hadn't seen them yet, took this chance to duck under something.

"I smell...a Northwest!" Pacifica heard and her heartbeat increased still. They watched the ghost carefully as it dragged it's ax on the floor, leaving a trail or broken wood in it's wake. Oh, her parents would be so furious. "Come out. Come out wherever you are."

"Hurry!" Pacifica demanded Dipper, in a voice that was quite a bit louder than she'd intended. "Read through your dumb book already!"

"I'm looking!" Dipper said in a strained whisper, flipping through the pages and turning on a black-light she hadn't noticed before. "And it's not dumb okay? This book is gonna save our lives." Pacifica peered at the pages as he flipped through them. When he got to the page on category ten ghosts, he held the black-light up to it, casting a purplish glow on the page. "Okay, here we go. Advice." he read out loud and shown the back-light on the spot. All that was there was 'Pray For Mercy'. "Aw, seriously?"

At that moment, their cover was levitated off them, leaving them exposed. "You shouldn't have come here!" The ghost bellowed and Pacifica's mind became clouded with panic once more as he sent his ax to them. All they could think to do was run.

"This way! Hurry!" Pacifica called, leading Dipper out of the room. She wasn't sure where they were going or why, but anything was better than being here right now. She could vaguely see him skimming through his book and it occurred to her what to do: buy them time. The ghost chuckled gleefully as he chased them through the halls. "Hurry, through the garden! Watch out for peacocks!"

Seconds after she said this, Dipper ran into one, but kept going. Pacifica could feel that they were getting mud on their shoes, which was another thing her parents won't like. This ghost was gonna get her in so much trouble if he didn't kill her first. Somehow Dipper managed to get ahead of her as they ran into another corridor.

"I got it!" Dipper said and slowed down as he read, allowing her to catch up. "Haunted painting can only be trapped in a silver mirror. Look, there's a silver mirror right there!"

A chill ran through Pacifica's body as she realized the mirror he was talking about. The room with the silver carpet. Forgetting the ghost, her main objective now was to stop Dipper and she pulled him back by his arm. "Wait, don't go in there! This room has my parents' favorite carpet patten; they'll lose it if we track mud in there!"

It was true. Half the time, she wasn't even allowed to set foot in this room at all. When she was six, maybe seven, she'd made this very mistake. She couldn't even remember what the punishment had been, all she knew was to stay out of the room with the silver carpet. Period.

"What?" Dipper asked, yanking his arm away. "Are you serious?" She was quick to block his path when he took a few steps closer.

"We'll find another way!" Pacifica told him, hoping that he would just drop it. They could hear the ghost moan but Pacifica couldn't bring herself to move. The yelling, the pain, the social workers, the shaming, the bell...she couldn't do it again.

"Pacifica, we don't have time for this, let me through!" he yelled. Pacifica grabbed the book in desperation, and Dipper tried to pull it away from her.

"No! My parents will kill me!" Pacifica said, pulling the book back and Dipper did the same.

"Why are you so afraid of your parents?" he asked, straining.

"You wouldn't understand!" she said. Before anything else could be said, they fell through something.

For a moment, Pacifica was blinded by a pale yellow certain that turned out to be her own hair. She lifted it up and saw what looked like a very old storage room with and uncovered floor and things covered in tarps.

""What is this place?" Dipper asked, looking around.

"That's weird. I don't even know where this room is." Pacifica said, making a note to explore the place later. It didn't seem like anyone came in here anyway by the cobwebs everywhere, so maybe she could sneak some peeks without trouble. Huh. That was a bit of a silver lining to all this.

"Hopefully the ghost doesn't either." Dipper said as she wondered a few feet away.

"Yeah. Maybe we're safe." Pacifica smiled in relief. It was pretty nice to finally be able to catch her breath. Her smile faded, though, when she thought she heard a gargling noise.

"Pacifica!" Dipper screamed. "Watch out!"

Pacifica screamed as the tarp fell off on the thing behind her, and she recognized the ghosts blue flames. She ran as the ghost bellowed "Your fate is sealed!" As Pacifica ran, she tripped, allowing the ghost to catch up with her. She was unable to speak as she turned around and tried to scoot away. She hardly even noticed the pain in her twisted ankle.

"Prepare to die, Northwest!" the ghost shouted, brought up his ax and began to bring it down. Pacifica's mind went completely blank and all she could do was let out a weak whimper. The next thing she saw was Dipper jumping in front of her and they fell through a window and down a hill back into the garden. This whole thing was a blare to her.

Pacifica had to shake her head clear and looked at Dipper, who also looked a bit dazed. "Did you get him?" Dipper glanced at a mirror in his hands and they saw the ghost trapped inside.

"Noooo! Free me." The ghost droned, banging on the mirror like it was a locked door. Dipper and Pacifica look at each other for a moment and started laughing, sharing a victorious 'yes!'.

"We did it!" Pacifica cheered, and threw her arms around Dipper without thinking. He did it, he saved them! He...he saved _her_! He...was just here for a job. Pacifica let go of him awkwardly, wondering what in the world could have made her do that. Maybe she was just...so happy that this whole mess was over. She cleared her throat as she looked at Dipper, who now looked nervous, as she pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, which was meant as payment for getting rid of the ghost. Instead, the words somehow became "Can I pay you to pretend that never happened?"

"Well, Pacifica, you really found the right man for the job." her father said proudly. Pacifica had spotted a butler walking back and told him to get her parents out here. For a couple of minutes Dipper and Pacifica stood in an award silence together, Dippers book in one of his hands and the mirror in the other. Her father snapped his fingers and the butler began shaking Dipper's hand in their place.

"We can't thank you enough." her mother said. After a couple of seconds, she told the butler that was was enough and the shaking stopped.

"Hey, just holden' up my end of the deal." Dipper grinned proudly. When he turned to leave, Pacifica was startled to realize it; she didn't want him to go. Maybe she was still grateful to him for saving her.

"Wait, leaving already?" she asked. "You're at the world's best party, dummy." Dipper chuckled and once again, Pacifica could tell he was trying to seem cool, but for some reason she couldn't find it stupid now. Now it was actually...sorta cute.

"I'd love to stay, but I've got a category ten ghost to dispose of." This little act of his was ruined though, when he walked into a pillar. He just gave her a smile that, for some reason, gave her this strange fluttery feeling in her chest. "Category ten." he repeated, pointing at her in a suave-ish way. She couldn't help but laugh with him as he left.

Pacifica looked at the spot where Dipper had left. For some reason, she wanted him to come back. Wait, she actually wanted that dork around? What was wrong with her? He was poor. He literally lived in a shack. He was one of those nerds she grew up picking on. He looked so tall in that tux. Wait, what?

"Hiiiiiiiii!" a scream blared in the girl's ears and she turned around so fast it could have given her whiplash. Mabel was standing behind her, giving her that huge, dorky smile. "Whatcha doing?"

"Nothing." Pacifica said shortly. She still wasn't sure how to talk casually, especially to someone as...weird as Mabel, and she really just wanted to be left alone right now. She couldn't remember when was the last time she socialized without someone controlling or monitoring what she said.

"Ghost gone?" Mabel asked, using the same tone she'd used when she'd offered her that taco a couple of weeks ago.

"Yeah." Pacifica said, and it suddenly occurred to her that unless she actually started talking, Mabel probably wouldn't go away. "Dipper went to 'dispose' of it."

Mabel laughed. "Sounds like him. Hey, if you help me with something I'll bring him back for you."

Pacifica's face heated up at this, but she was sure to keep quiet at this, weighing the outcomes of anything she could say. Mabel didn't seem especially suspicious of anything, but nothing was as it seemed, especially lately. The girl might have been a gifted actress for all she knew.

"I-I'd be fine either way." Pacifica told her, not sure whether it was a lie or not. "But just out of curiosity, what'da ya need?"

"Well, you know Marius Van...something?" Mabel asked.

"Ugh, that guy from Austria?" Pacifica groaned, somehow not surprised that Mabel's night had taken this slant. Every year there was an obnoxious gaggle of girls drooling over the guy. "One of my friends dated him once. She said he was really clingy."

Mabel gasped in what appeared to be delight. "So am I! We have so much in common!"

"You're not gonna give up on this, are you, Mabel?" Pacifica asked dryly.

"Not even a little." the Pines girl declared, sounding almost proud. "So, you said he's from Australia?"

"No, hon. Astr -" Pacifica paused. If Mabel could make a mistake like that by herself, maybe her own input was unnecessary. "I mean, yes. Yes, Australia. Go...ask him about kangaroos or something."

"Thanks, Pacifica! You're the best!" Pacifica was unprepared for one of Mabel's restricting hugs, but she managed a small smile none the less as she was released and the girls headed back into the mansion.

"So, what makes you think I want Dipper to come back?" Pacifica asked as they walked in the direction of the party.

"Nothing. You just looked lonely standing outside all by yourself." Mabel said, and the smile she gave this time was small and sincere.

As the girls entered the room, Pacificia spotted her parents talking to a guest nearby, and she tried to ignore the scornful look her father tossed her. He must not have liked seeing her talking with a poor girl – not so much as offering a hint of disdain.

"Okay, there he is." Mabel said, pointing to the guy and ignoring Pacifica's unimpressed look. "Alright, I'll go find Candy. We've got a tag team!" Pacifica was unsure of how to respond to that, so she just watched as Mabel ran up to her friend in the green dress. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck...I guess." Pacifica called after her.

"NORTHWESTS!"

* * *

I always found it odd that the Northwests are apparently allowed to treat their daughter this way, seeing as the very next episode thoroughly confirms that child protective services does exist in this world, which is why I grant you all this tiny implication of a run-in. Also, a teensy bit of a departure for the sake of my quasi-OCD, I _really_ hope both girls are in character. Probably not. Review.


	3. The Chain

**Chapter Three: The Chain**

That was Dipper's voice. Pacifica spotted him at the front door with her parents and she tried to ignore that fluttery feeling that returned full force as she ran to see him. "Dipper, you came back!" she said in a tone that was certainly much more...flirtatious than she'd meant, but for some reason she didn't care; she was just glade he was back.

"You lied to me!" Dipper yelled, pointing at her. Her mood plummeted hard at the furious look he gave her. "All of you did! All you had to do was let the townsfolk into the party and you could have broken the curse! But you made me do your dirty work instead!"

Oh dear. How could she have forgotten; Dipper Pines had a talent for coming across information he wasn't supposed to, so this was probably unavoidable. Granted, she hadn't known that bit about breaking the curse, but she could have at least told him what she did know; her parents seemed to know what to do, they just couldn't be bothered. And now he was mad at her. Her stomach dropped as her father approached him.

"Look at who you're talking to, boy. I'm hosting a party for the most powerful people in the world. You think they'd come here if they had to rub elbows with your kind?"

"My kind?" Dipper asked, sounding insulted. Pacifica was frozen in place when he turned to her. "I was right about you all along. You're just as bad as your parents. Another link in the world's worst chain!"

Pacifica felt miserable at those words. She could have cried, but she didn't; if anything good came from her strict upbringing, it was that she didn't cry easily. But there was a cry in her voice that she couldn't hind. "I'm sorry, they made me! I should have told you but -" Pacifica stopped immediately when her father took out the bell. She submitted to the ringing by reflex, and the fact that Dipper was seeing this was humiliating.

"Enjoy the party." her father said. "It's the last time you and your kind will ever come."

From there, Pacifica blocked everything else out, but she was vaguely aware of Dipper practically stomping away as well as her father telling her that she was grounded for her importance starting tomorrow as they left her alone again. Even that seemed small compared to the guilt she felt now.

Part of her wanted to go after him to clear things up, but the look he'd given her...there was no way he'd hear here out now. She didn't feel like going back to the party, she wanted to be alone right now. When she remembered that that dark room from before seemed pretty deserted, she went to the living area and took a flashlight from a drawer in a bookshelf. The entrance to the room was just down the hall.

The inside of the room was still and quite. The flashlight shown on a bunch of tarps turning gray with dust and cobwebs, obviously covering more portraits of her family. Whatever. What did peek her interest was there there was one painting without a tarp, that the ghost had ambushed her through. She shown her flashlight on it and her mind went blank.

She vaguely recognized the pictures as ones hanging up throughout the mansion, but they were...just wrong. A Northwest, likely even before Nathaniel, cheating a native American chief, another pretty clearly a crook, a mad scientist like something out of an 80's cartoon, another standing on a mound of animal carcasses.

Pacifica dazedly backed up to a wall, not daring to believe this. These...these had to be fake – just like the document. The document. The one that...Dipper and Mabel forged? Out of...jealousy? That didn't sound right. As soon as they called off their rivalry, Mabel dropped all ill will towards her. Heck, she acted almost like they were friends, and Dipper wasn't that petty. So...her father lied to her? No real surprise, they lied to her about a lot of things. In fact, he almost seemed proud of his lie to Dipper. Her parents were untrustworthy. Dipper was...

So...the document was real? Did that mean all of this was real, too? But she came from a family of noble, wealthy people, but then...Why did her parents keep this at all? Where they actually proud of being...

" _Nathaniel Northwest didn't found Gravity Falls and your whole family's a shame. Deal with it."_

So her bloodline was built on lying and cheating? And her parents were even proud of it? And she was...Pacifica fell to the floor, sitting in a huddle. It was too quiet, she decided as she closed her eyes, and began flipping the switch on the flashlight, listening to the clicking.

" _You're just as bad as your parents. Another link in the word's worst chain!"_

Dipper was right. Dipper was right about everything.

From a distance, she could hear screaming and the ghost. He was back. Pacifica had lost the will to care. So what if he was back? So what if the mansion was doomed. So what if he found and killed her? Maybe then this horrible legacy would end.

"Pacifica!" that was Dipper's voice. Far from the fluttery feeling she'd been having around him tonight, her heart just twinged with guilt. He was one of the closest things she had to a real friend, and she'd lied to him. She really was no different from her ancestors. "Pacifica, there you are! The ghost is turning everyone into wood, and he just started rhyming for some reason!" He grabbed her hand and tugged on it. "I need your help!" She risked a look at him as she yanked her hand free. He looked...concerned. "Pacifica?"

"You wanna know why the room was locked up?" she asked him. She shown the flashlight on the pictures, revealing them to Dipper. "This is what I found in here. A painted record of every horrible thing that my family's ever done. Lying, cheating, and then there's me." She brought the light to her own face before clicking it off. I lied to you just because I was afraid to talk back to my stupid parents."

As she said this, she removed her diamond earrings; the ones she'd once put before her own rescue back at the golf course. They didn't seem so important to her anymore as she hurled them at at a portrait of her parents. They fell to the floor with a loud clacking sound.

"You were right about me." she said, looking at him. "I am just another link in the worlds worst chain."

Dipper sighed. "Pacifica, I-I'm sorry about what I said earlier, but just because you're your parents' daughter doesn't mean you have to be like them." Pacifica pondered this for a second, before looking him in the eyes and gave him a small smile. The fluttery feeling returned when he put his hand on her shoulder. "It's not too late."

"It's too late!" the ghost bellowed from the main room.

"Oh no!" Dipper yelled. Pacifica followed him out to the room. They screamed at what they saw; the mention had turned turned into a jungle. Everyone had been turned into wood; Mabel and her friends included, though Pacifica noticed that her parents were nowhere to be seen. In any case, it appeared that Dipper took this personally by the look on his face. He ran towards the ghost, who was now flouting in front of a huge portrait of herself and her parents from when she was six.

"Dipper, wait!" she called. He seemed to be a smart guy, something she had known even before this night, but this just seemed reckless.

"Alright ghost. Prepare to get -" Dipper yelled as he got up on a table and held up a reflective silver tray, but the ghost rounded on him and shot the book from his hand. "What? No!" Before Pacifica knew what was going on, she saw wood creeping up him. "Nonononono! No someone help! Someone hel-" he was silenced as the wood engulfed him.

Pacifica gasped. The ghost actually got Dipper. His yell echoed in her mind. If it got him, than what chance did she have? What had he said before? Letting in the townsfolk would break the curse? Well, it was only a lever. She could do that. The clock chimed throughout the room. Midnight.

"Forest of death, a lesson learned. And now the Northwest Manor will burn!" the ghost bellowed and set the picture ablaze. Fear gripped Pacifica's heart as she ran to the front door, but she forced it down. I-if she ran now.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" she called and somehow managed to stay calm when it turned to her. "You want me to let in the townsfolk? Cause I'll do it! Just change everyone back!"

"You wish to prove yourself?" the ghost questioned and pointed to her. "Pull that lever and open the grand gate to the town! Fulfill your ancestors' promise!" Pacifica reached for the lever, not taking her eyes off the ghost. Weather she didn't trust him to not turn her into wood mid-pull or to hid her own fear, she wasn't sure.

"Pacifica Ellis Northwest, stop this instant!" her father said, popping up from a trap door in the floor nearby, accompanied by her mother and a butler. Well, that answered that question. "We can't let the town see us like this? We have a reputation to uphold! Now come into a panic room. There's enough mini-sandwiches and oxygen to last you, me and a butler a full week. We'll eat the butler." that last bit was said in a whisper.

Pacifica looked to them, hoping her father was joking, than over to Dipper's petrified form. She knew at once that if their roles were switched, he'd pull the lever in a heartbeat. He'd saved her life; he and Mabel both had. And she had to do the same for them.

"You dare disobey us?" her father asked. Pacifica froze at the sound of the bell. Her hand shook as she reached for the lever, the ringing piercing her ears, bringing out horrid images and very hazy memories. It had never lasted this long before; she had to submit. No! Dipper. Mabel. Her...friends. Her friends needed her.

"Dingily, dingily! Is this bell broken?" her father questioned, but stopped the ringing when she did something she hadn't done in seven years; she gave a defiant stomp.

"Our family name is broken!" she yelled, taking hold of the lever and yanking it downward. "And I'm gonna fix it!" The ghost gasped and flew over to a window not far from her. Her parents yelped and hid back under the trap door to cover themselves from him.

"Yes. Yes, it's happening. My heart, once as strong as oak, now grows soft like more of a birch or something." the ghost said. Somehow, Pacifica thought that even if she did know the first thing about trees, that would still be confusing. Still, she breathed a sigh of relief as everything changed back to normal. Her eyes immediately sought out Dipper, who took in a huge breath as he was freed. Not far off, Mabel and her friends had collapsed, but it was nice to see they were back to normal, too.

"Pacifica, you are not like the other Northwests." the ghost said, smiling as her. Pacifica looked back at him with a smile. That was wonderful to hear. "I feel...lumber...justice." the ghost said as he disappeared back to the afterlife. The ax remained and fell so soundly it actually embedded itself into the floor.

For the second time that night, Pacifica felt yet another entirely new feeling growing in her chest, but this time she knew what it probably was: genuine pride. Before tonight, she tied herself to her ancestors and their apparent accomplishments, and herself only after careful hours of coordination, planning or training via her parents. This, though, was all her. She saved herself, her new friends, and everyone. And she promised herself that she would redeem her family's name, whatever that took.

A rumbling yanked her out of her thoughts as the doors flew open. She had to run for a wall to avoid the stampeding townsfolk. People attacked the snack table and cider fountain, and her dad was freaking out at the whole thing. Well, wasn't that just the icing on the cake?

When she spotted Dipper, who was rubbing his head like he'd had a long, hard night, Pacifica couldn't help herself. She was beginning to get used to the fluttery feeling as she ran to him and threw her arms around him for a second time that night. She felt so safe like this.

Dipper cleared his throat. "Uh...Pacifica?" he asked with a cracking voice. With that, she released him, locking her hands behind her back. They locked eyes for a moment, and she only noticed for the first time how...deep and beautiful his eyes were. She might have imagined it, but she thought he looked...kind of flushed. Maybe neither of them felt too well because they just started laughing together out of nowhere. Whatever that was about, it put the awkwardness to rest.

"Man, if your family hates you for this, they are idiots; this is great." Dipper said.

"Enjoy it while it lasts." Pacifica warned, finally come down from her emotional high. Wow, she was gonna get in trouble for this. "Next year, I'm sure they're just gonna lock everyone out again."

"Hey, guess what we're standing on?" Dipper said. Pacifica gasped as she realized they were on the silver carpet...in muddy shoes. Fear gripped her heart for a moment, but that subsided. Seeing how she'd already overcome the bell, and she probably had three hours to live anyway, she decided to at least smear something into this stupid carpet. She and Dipper laughed as she stomped with a 'take that', and they spent a few seconds trashing the spot with drinks and gravy.

"But seriously, I better go find someone to clean this up." Pacifica told him, just in case, and she felt Dipper watching her leave.

"You won't be seeing that boy again. Understood?" Yeah, she figured it was a matter of time before her dad caught up with her. Pacifica glanced away and didn't answer. Part of her found this easy after everything else that happened tonight, but another part was still scared stiff. "Pacifica, I forbid it."

"What's it gonna be, dad? Grounding for life or more mind-games?" Pacifica challenged.

"Grounding until I can think up a proper punishment for you." her dad said. "Best say goodbye to your little 'friends' now; I wouldn't be surprised if you never saw them again."

Pacifica turned on her heels and walked away. She saw that there was already a butler cleaning the carpet up, but Dipper was gone. After a few seconds of searching, she spotted him and Mabel pulling pranks on a pair of teenagers. It looked like fun. She knew they'd be leaving at the end of the summer, but they'd come back next year, right? They had to.

Outside the rain had stopped, every bit of cloud having been used up. The observant would have taken note that this was the first clear night in three days.

* * *

Abrupt-like ending, but it's late. And that's the end. Yay! Review.


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